912 ! THE FESTIVAL BEAT ! Proud to support our community - Volume 912

Stay safe patient and creative: watch films at home!

THE FESTIVAL BEAT !

Our thoughts go to the families of the victims of the COVID-19 in their flesh or their business; and we express our loud gratitude and solidarity with all of those who are fighting that disease. Our consideration and sympathy go to all the teams behind the festivals which had to cancel or postpone their edition. We understand all the frustration. We understand the work involved, we respect the tough decision and feel sorry for all the lost opportunities for our filmmaker friends in their quest to reach an audience.

We are here to help if we can. MOST IMPORTANT AT THIS STAGE STAY SAFE

We salute all creative initiatives who show some hope, please tell us how how you cope with the situation, we will report...

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The Seattle Film Summit (@SeattleFilmSummit) and Albuquerque Film & Music Experience (@ABQFilmX) are collaborating on Filling the Void, a free weekly livestream for hundreds and thousands of filmmakers, actors, musicians and art industry professionals. Every Thursday on Filling the Void, A-list industry insiders and funding experts provide educational resources, tools, advice and needed entertainment in this uncertain time. The goal of the livestream is to help creatives build relevant...MORE

The Festival de Cannes will launch the Marché du Film online on Monday 22 June to support film industry professionals In these trying times for the whole world, and in view of the fragile prospects for the world of cinema, the Festival has announced that it does not wish to abandon the field. "No one knows what the second half of the year may bring and whether it will be possible to organize major film events again in 2020, including the Festival de Cannes" said Th...

The COVID-19 emergency has not yet been overcome; in fact, the measures taken by the government and the expected time for recovery suggest that the present phase will last quite a while. It is a matter of fact that movie theatres and places of public entertainment will be the last to reopen and to return to full normalcy. Acknowledging the gravity of the situation, which has affected everyone's life, and the uncertainty that derives from it, Bergamo Film Meeting must postpone the 38th ed...

The online programme for Planet P is coming along nicely Preparations for the poesiefestival berlin (5–11 June) are in full swing. For the first time in its 21-year history, it is taking place as a purely online festival. The festival site will be going live from the end of May. The festival is presenting around 150 writers from 29 countries, who will be appearing in more than 100 online events including talks, ...

What a dreamy start for a maiden film festival, solely dedicated to short films, animation films, and documentaries! A debutant in the region of western Maharashtra, an enigmatic initiative. The host did a complete task which other film festivals could only dream about. In its first-ever affair, it served a complete vintage of world-class short-films to Movie Lovers. In the ethical consideration, the organizers kept themselves away from the nomination or award process- there was indeed n...

Because of COVID-19, Organizers Look at Options, including a Possible Digital Event Tryon International Film Festival 2020, presented by New View Realty, is scheduled for Friday-Sunday, Oct. 9-11, despite the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused film festivals around the world to be postponed or cancelled altogether. “While we have been making great progress towards hosting our 2020 festival, we are mindful of th...

The Show Must Go On! 10th Annual Queens World Film Festival to Stream LIVE March 19-29 In light of the global health pandemic, the 10th Annual Queens World Film Festival will open Thursday, March 19, on DISCOVERED.TV, screening 220 films from 32 nations. Opening Night, presented by Investors Bank, began at 7pm (EST) on Thursday, March 19, at discovered.tv/QWFF. The Opening Night Block is called “Tales of Connectedness” and features six shorts f...

The final deadline for the 4th Los Angeles Crime & Horror Film Festival is coming up. If you've completed a feature film, short film, or screenplay in any horror or crime subgenre, from zombies and vampires to mobsters and heists, this is the event to showcase your content in the heart of Hollywood, California. The festival's award winners are given official recognition with verified awards listings on IMDb. The top films and short films are considered by reps and production compani...

The 15th edition of ÉCU has arrived! We are proud to introduce you to 81 amazing films from 28 countries, that will be screened online on April 23rd, 24th, 25th and 26th, 2020. We had the honour of announcing the Official Selection with many thought-provoking and brave films, to be screened at ÉCU 2020. Time has flown since then and we are excited to share these films with you! Click here to have a look at our 4 day programme and check out some trailers too, to get the tast...

Photos Michka Verkhovskoy Cannes as you never saw it: empty till may 15, with large gatherings officially forbidden till mid july President Macron officially announced yesterday evening that any festival or large gathering would be forbidden till mid july ... at least . Cannes festival officials had hinted that the festival would not take the form of an online only version, that seems to announce a possible flat cancellation of the 2020 edition. We should be hearing ve...

Al Jazeera English Earns Broadcaster of the Year, The Edge Picture Company is Production Company of the Year; Grands go to: Fleabag - Series 2, Very Ralph, Okavango - River of Dreams and Apollo: Mis...

128 nominees from 35 countries across 26 categories The Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) is pleased to announce the full list of nominees for the 2020 Rockie Awards International Program Competition, recognizing excellence in television and digital media from around the world. The Rockies Program Competition ceremony will stream live on Monday, June 15th. The Rockie Awards International Program Competition is one of the largest awards programs of its kind, juried by ...

The final deadline for the 4th Los Angeles Crime & Horror Film Festival is coming up. If you've completed a feature film, short film, or screenplay in any horror or crime subgenre, from zombies and vampires to mobsters and heists, this is the event to showcase your content in the heart of Hollywood, California. The festival's award winners are given official recognition with verified awards listings on IMDb. The top films and short films are considered by reps and production compani...

The Best Shorts Competition is proud to announce the latest winners. The Best Shorts Competition puts filmmakers first and provides a direct opportunity for recognition and publicity for high quality productions. It is international in scope and has granted awards to producers in Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Malta, Martinique, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paragu...

Sixteen composers and sound designers are nominated for the EUROPEAN TALENT AWARD. Seven film composers enter the race for the PEER RABEN MUSIC AWARD. The winners will be announced at the grand award ceremony on August 22nd, 2020, moderated by Ill-Yong Kim. The EUROPEAN TALENT COMPETITION offers a platform especially for young talent. The participants‘ tasks was to compose a new musical interpretation (score and/or sound design) to the short film DANS LES BOIS. The nomi...

After spending the entire year preparing its anniversary edition, organizers of the 25th Vilnius International Film Festival had just 168 hours to move their event from cinemas to streaming platforms. With all mass gatherings banned by the government to prevent the spread of coronavirus, festival organizers quickly adapted and accomplished what seemed like an impossible task – to go fully digital. The story of their success has captivated the interest of many other festivals. ...

IndieFEST, currently in its 11th year, discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high quality films and new media. Attracting both powerhouse industry veterans as well as talented new filmmakers, the IndieFEST is an exceptional, truly international awards competition, not a traditional film festival. The goal of traditional film festivals is to bring entertainment to local audiences making the filmmaker of secondary importance. IndieFEST is about helping independent filmmakers gain the credibility and publicity they justly deserve. Our talented IndieFEST award winners have gone on to win Emmy, Telly and other awards.

BEYOND BORDERS
July 23-30, 2020

Late deadline April 20, 2020

The 5th International Documentary Festival “Beyond Borders”, Castellorizo island, has the pleasure to invite documentary film-makers to submit their films until 20th of April, 2020. The Festival’s objective is to promote the most important documentary productions worldwide that focus on history, culture, politics and other social subjects. «Beyond Borders» takes place every year during the last week of August, is co-organized with the Region of South Aegean, Les Ecrans des Mondes and the Society for the Restoration of Castellorizo, is held under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, the Australian Embassy in Athens, the U.S. Embassy in Athens, the Embassy of Israel in Athens and the Municipality of Megisti (Castellorizo), with the kind support of ERT and EKOME. It is produced by the Hellenic History Foundation (www.idisme.gr). “Beyond Borders” includes a selection of Greek, European and worldwide productions of the last five years, workshops, parallel events and master classes. Prizes for Best History Documentary, Best Socio-political Documentary, Best Greek History Documentary, Best Greek Socio-political Documentary, Best Short Length Documentary will be awarded by the Hellenic Parliament. EKOME & SteFilm Post Production will also provide awards.

Early Deadline – May 2, 2020*

Regular Deadline – May 12, 2020*

Late deadline – May 20, 2020

The 23rd UNAFF will be held from October 15-25, 2020 in Palo Alto, Stanford University, East Palo Alto and San Francisco. This year’s theme THE POWER OF EMPATHY continues our two decades long celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, emphasizing our readiness to care about other people’s emotional experiences.

PARTNER FESTIVAL WITH FILMFESTIVALS.COM

May 9, 2020 extended deadline

The second annual French Riviera Film Festival will recognize and celebrate short form content created for film, television, Web and all digital platforms. In the glamorous South of France setting, FRFF invites filmmakers from around the globe to participate in the two day festival that includes screenings, VIP receptions, awards ceremony and closing gala party. FRFF will place the spotlight on the best short form filmed content during the time period of the annual Festival de Cannes. A prestigious jury panel will select Best Drama Short, Best Comedy Short, Best Documentary Short, Best Animation Short, Best Experimental Short, Audience Favorite Award, Best Director Award, Best Actor Award, Best Actress Award, as well as special Industry Awards. Attendees and participants will include filmmakers, industry executives, celebrities, media and influencers. https://filmfreeway.com/FrenchRivieraFilmFestival

August 20th, 2020

Extended Deadline

Paleochora Lost World Short Film Festival launched its 1st edition in June 2019 to a spectacular success. The 2nd Paleochora Lost World Short Film Festival returns in June 2020 in association with the Municipality of Kandanos-Selinou. The 'Lost World' of Paleochora nestles between the Mountains and Sea in South West Crete and is the perfect location for Filmmakers to convene to show their work, network with colleagues and enjoy our fabulous Cretan hospitality. We may be at the most southern point of Europe, but there are BIG Film things happening here and on the entire Island of Crete. Our main aim will be to select films which focus on great storytelling, whether fiction, documentary or any other accepted genre.

Screenings are held Under the Stars in the Town Hall Square with daytime programmes held at the fabulous Pearl Cavo oceanside venue.

CINEFANTASY 10: SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR 2020 EDITION THIS SEPTEMBER ** The festival will take place from September 8 to 13, in São Paulo. ** Registration is open until 5/13 Registration is open for the tenth edition of CINEFANTASY - International Fantastic Film Festival. Those interested can send the material until May 13, as long as the theme is fantastic, horror, science fiction and / or fantasy, the novelty of this edition is the expansion of the fantastic universe with west...

Watch SBIFF Cinema Society Clip 1 of "Bohemian Rhapsody" Q&A with Rami Malek CLICK HERE SBIFF Staff Memories Episode 7: I Need to be a Part of This By Luca Schoch, SBIFF Riviera Theatre Manager I remember the day when I first visited the remodeled Riviera Theatre as if it were yesterday. As I walked up to the edge of the balcony I was just astounded by the passion that had been put into creating this gem of a theatre for the S...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent If you're ready to take Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime break, McGill University in Montreal is conducting a live event via the web on April 23, whereby their brilliant minds will school you on the emerging picture of this current Coronavirus pandemic in context of global health scares that have shaped our society. You can join the discussion via video, read on. MONTREAL, QC (04/22/20): How have past generations managed global pandemics? What r...

Earth Day Live Starts at 9am ET TODAY @EARTHDAY.ORG In honor of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, Earth Day Network and Earth Day Italia announce today in Rome, His Holiness Pope Francis celebrated Earth Day with a message to the global community. His message was one of hope for the planet. A few hours earlier, in honor of today being the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, world-renowned musical artists Zucchero “Sugar” Fornaciari and Bono sang “CANTA LA VI...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent You’ve heard of the Broadway smash “Hamilton” from showbiz reframer Lin-Manuel Miranda? Did you know the original cast once included the extremely talented Daveed Diggs as the titular character? #AFIMOVIECLUB just drafted this Broadway-star-turned-feature-phenom to pull back the curtain on the Spielberg box-office crusher JURASSIC PARK. This is the film that ran under Variety headlines back in the day as “Liza...

> FILMS IN FOCUS ...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent “Sometimes, there's a man, well, he's the man for his time and place. He fits right in there.” Oops, sorry that's a line cribbed from The Big Lebowski’s narrator Sam Elliott, that has nothing to do with Pluto Film’s release WIR ELTERN, retitled in English as PARENTS, except for the hipster factor. This is a German, with other languages included, film by Eric Bergkraut, Ruth Schweikert “and family.&rdquo...

CINEFANTASY 10: SUBMISSIONS OPEN FOR 2020 EDITION THIS SEPTEMBER ** The festival will take place from September 8 to 13, in São Paulo. ** Registration is open until 5/13 Registration is open for the tenth edition of CINEFANTASY - International Fantastic Film Festival. Those interested can send the material until May 13, as long as the theme is fantastic, horror, science fiction and / or fantasy, the novelty of this edition is the expansion of the fantastic universe with west...

THE AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES $3 MILLION GIFT FROM AFI TRUSTEE EMERITUS LAWRENCE HERBERT Grant Establishes the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center to Support Alumni Career Development The American Film Institute announced it has received a $3 million gift from AFI Trustee Emeritus Lawrence Herbert, which will establish the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center on the AFI Campus located in Los Angeles, CA, as well as a digital portal, AFI Backlot, to magnify the c...

We begin our industry news summary by highlighting a new video series from the US Chamber of Commerce entitled, "Path Forward: Navigating the Return to Work". This twice-per-week series kicked off last week, focused on topics to "help business and community leaders find the answers they need to develop a responsible reopening strategy." We discuss a report published recently by Ernst & Young (with the support of NATO) that measures the impact that a film's sch...

IFF Ekotopfilm - Envirofilm with its 46-year tradition seeks to inspire and alter people's attitude and relationship towards the environment, provide space for open discussion on sustainability of life on our planet. The 46th annual Ekotopfilm - Envirofilm will be held in Bratislava and Banská Bystrica May 11-15, 2020. We welcome documentary films on topics related to the natural world and sustainability. ...

The final deadline for the 4th Los Angeles Crime & Horror Film Festival is coming up. If you've completed a feature film, short film, or screenplay in any horror or crime subgenre, from zombies and vampires to mobsters and heists, this is the event to showcase your content in the heart of Hollywood, California. The festival's award winners are given official recognition with verified awards listings on IMDb. The top films and short films are considered by reps and production compani...

DITP to launch MOVE online trade show in response to COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected global economic industry. Thailand’s digital content industry, which has generated annual revenue of 3.3 billion US dollars, is one of many industries that has been disturbed. Several major digital content related events such as Hong Kong International Film & TV Market and MIPTV, have been postponed or cancelled. It is estimated that the industry will face as high a...

Announcing the Sundance Institute COVID-19 Respond and Reimagine Plan with $1Million in Emergency Relief for Independent Artists and Organizations Being an independent artist means daring to tell bold, authentic stories with no strings attached and no compromises. It means taking risks, centering new perspectives, searching for meaning, and deepening our connection to the world around us. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a bright light on the importance of art, remin...

by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Okay, Lockdown Folks, here's a fun thing to do with your endless free time - watch SXSW 2020 Pilot Showcase on Vimeo! Los Angeles, CA: In the wake of the cancelled 2020 SXSW Film Festival, a fascinating group of nominated filmmakers from the Episodic Pilot Competition are launching a ‘SXSW 2020 Pilot Showcase’ on Vimeo, a streaming event to preview a diversity led (more than half LGBT content and creators) se...

SAVING NORTH - A RUSSIAN AMERICAN ODYSSEY by J Mitchell Johnson

Russia USA Feature documentary April 2020 Director's cut: 79 minutes

What happened, what can happen to the centuries old amazing wooden churches in north of Russia. Photographer Richard Davies trips to Russia and USA tell stories on human soul, hope and russian american…cooperation in restoring beauty.

Saving North is the story of a struggle for human and cultural survival in the mysterious and insular world of the Russian North. An outsider from England, photographer Richard Davies, enters this mysterious and vast region of the world with the hope of documenting both the glory and the tragic demise of its rapidly disappearing Wooden Churches. As Davies meets and becomes friends with the some of his Russian photo subjects, he finds himself getting emotionally involved with their struggle. He decides to put down his camera and get involved with church restoration.

Early on in our story Davies befriends the famed Russian architect Alexander Popov who is deeply involved in working to preserve and share with the world the beauty and value of these ancient structures. Popov has uniquely discovered and reinvigorated both the tools and processes that restore life back to the North. But it’s an uphill battle against strong and powerful forces.

Together, Davies and Popov uncover the circumstances that led to the demise of the churches, and then join a small but growing group of passionate Russian citizens and outsiders from all walks of life who join the cause of Saving North.

First feature film by Swiss director Carmen Stadler, produced by Claudia Wick for Abrakadabra Films AG

An office complex wishes for a love story before demolition. It chooses the lonely misfits for this story; those who go through security rounds at night, scrub toilets, experiment with recipes or rehearse their final speech. A poetic and twisted kaleidoscope that centers around desire, security and melodious noises which move through the entire fabric of the building.

Marcel Duchamp: The Art of the Possible written and directed by Matthew Taylor

USA 2019 Documentary 89 minutes

Duchamp: Art of the Possible is a feature documentary that explores the life, art, and philosophy of the 20th century’s most influential modernists, Marcel Duchamp, and how his work single-handedly changed the course of art, and over time, culture itself.

THE MYSTERY OF A BURYAT LAMA», directed by Elena Demidova

The documentary film «THE MYSTERY OF A BURYAT LAMA», directed by Elena Demidova, tells a story of one of the most famous lamas, Pandido Khambo Lama Dashi Dorzho Itigelov. His body is recognized as one of the sacred Buddhist objects of Russia and is being kept in the Ivolginsky Datsan. The Buddhist monks approach him as a living person.

Itigelov was born in 1852 and began his religious education at the age of sixteen years. In 1911, he was appointed the twelfth Pandido Khambo Lama as the Head of Russian Buryat Buddhists. Between 1913 and 1917, Itigelov was prominent in the spiritual life of Russian Empire. He took part in the Tercentenary celebrations of the House Romanov and opened first Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg. During First World War Itigelov presided over the society of "Buryat brothers", an organization helping the Russian army. After October Revolution, Itigelov resigned as head of the Buddhists. In 1927, aged seventy-five years, he asked other lamas to begin meditation ceremonies and funeral rites, since he said he was about to die. Itigelov left a testament asking to be buried as he was at the time of his death, sitting in lotus posture. On September 11, 2002, Itigelov's body was eventually exhumed in the presence of the leaders of the Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia and transferred to Ivolginsky Datsan.

"A film that Google does not want you to see - filmfestivals.com Best for Fest"

An eye-opening documentary, The Creepy Line reveals the stunning degree to which society is manipulated by Google and Facebook and blows the lid off the remarkably subtle – hence powerful – manner in which they do it.

The Creepy Line is a title culled from the words of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, when during a 2010 interview he explained Google’s code of conduct: “The Google policy on a lot of things is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it.”

However, as Dr. Robert Epstein explains in the film, “Google crosses the creepy line every day”.

Offering first-hand accounts, scientific experiments and detailed analysis, The Creepy Line examines what is at risk when these two tech titans have free reign to utilize the public’s most private and personal data to manipulate society.

There is no question that the “creepy line” is getting ever-creepier, and that the tech giants have crossed it.

Rob Stewart “Conservation is the preservation of human life on earth. And that, above all else, is worth fighting for” Watch Rob Stewart doing what he loved most of all, swimming with sharks, in exclusive footage from his third film, Sharkwater: Extinction.

Sharkwater: Extinction is a follow up to his first two award-winning films, Sharkwater and Revolution. Sharkwater exposed the devastating issue of shark finning, while Revolution brought the destructive effects of Ocean Acidification to light.

Rob taught the world to not fear sharks, through his iconic images of hugging these majestic creatures and free diving with them.

over 40 festival wins so far

Eco Documentary feature film by Rob Stewart April 2015, 82 minutes (Sharkwater)
Revolution is a film about changing the world. The true-life adventure of Rob Stewart, this follow-up to his acclaimed SHARKWATER (36 festival wins) documentary continues his remarkable journey; one that will take him through 15 countries over four years, and where he'll discover that it's not only sharks that are in grave danger -- it's humanity itself.

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